Local artists making WAVES

MARQUETTE — Local art students are making “Waves” with some of their best work to date.

The senior art students at Northern Michigan University showcase their artistic abilities for one final time before the school year comes to a close. The DeVos Art Museum plays host to the numerous pieces on display that students have been working on for the entire semester.

“The show comes out of a course, AD 403. All of the students work together to come up with a name for the show, to come up with the design for the promotions, the promotions and the postcard,” said DeVos Director and Curator Melissa Matscak. “The museum works closely with the students doing the planning and the logistics of the show.”

The name of the show, titled Waves, hopes to showcase how the natural surroundings have inspired many of the artists during their time in the area.

“This is a great title for the show. It’s different every semester. When you have 50 plus people in a room trying to decide a name for a show that is going to represent everybody that can be a really difficult thing to do,” added Matscak. “There’s the connection to Lake Superior; definitely being so close to the lake has influenced students while they are in school here. But also the experience of creativity, this ebb and flow of, the idea into making the work and getting feedback and then revising your idea really is kind of similar to a wave pattern. So I thought the title was really applicable.”

Visitors will be able to see the creativity in each piece, whether that is a photograph, a furniture piece, sculpture or even a painting.

“I’m inspired by faces and style and fashion and other artists. I take a lot of inspiration and incorporate it. Listening to that album [Prince] I was really compelled to create and this is what came about and I’m pretty proud of it,” said senior Julian Gaines.

With the wide range of art pieces, there is sure to be something for everyone. The show is free and open to the public and will run until May 1st.